


Light

by BrightEyesIllusionist



Series: 100 Themes Challenge [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 100 Themes Challenge, Arc Reactor, Gen, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 18:34:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15346014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightEyesIllusionist/pseuds/BrightEyesIllusionist
Summary: Tony wakes up from a dream and goes to the lab to sort out his thoughts





	Light

Tony flung off his sheets and bolted upright, his breath came in short, struggling pants. His wide eyes fixed on the far wall and sweat cascaded down his hairline to pool under his jaw and drip from his chin, his hands clenched into fists around the sheets.

“Shit.” 

As his breathing finally evened out, he dropped his face into his hands.

“Okay. Okay, breathe Tony.” He purposefully filled his lungs with air, his breath hitching some but he pushed past it. “It's okay, it's fine. You're here, not... You're fine. Just fine.”

Slowly he reached out to feel the sheets around him, the cool fabric slid beneath his fingers in direct contrast to his overheated skin. He took another breath and tried to force his heart rate to calm down.

“Lab time.” He muttered softly before standing. His legs were only slightly shaky beneath him as he walked out of the room.

By now he couldn't even remember what the dream had been about. There was so much crap for his subconscious to draw from it was ridiculous.

He didn't bother turning on the lights as he walked down the hall from his room. The turns were familiar, even in the dark, but the shadows felt heavy. 

He reached down to the collar of the thick shirt he'd worn to bed and pulled it down to catch under the edge of the reactor.

The soft blue light filled the room around him, chasing the shadows and their weight back into the corners. Still there, right at the edge, but no longer nipping at his heels. The hitch in his breath calmed. 

Tony continued down the hall, letting the light guide his steps. Soon he was sitting in his lab working on one of his holo-screens. The same soft blue light from the reactor forming the ideas and plans in the air in front of him.

The color was comforting, clearing his dark thoughts from his mind with the familiar glow. He tapped his fingers against the glass in his chest and sighed. The dreams sucked, and they didn't always clear away so easily. The light didn't always chase away the shadows, but it was always there.

And that was enough.


End file.
